San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1887-12-29


garment of some unknown fashion, and
instinctively Peter Perkins put his hand
under his pillow after his revolver, think
Ing OF robbers, but the stranger said In a
low voice, which yet had such authority
In II that the wretched man dared not
disobey:
"Arise, dress yourself and follow me. I"
AS in dream the little miser followed,
but they went so swiftly that he could
not see where they We're going until at
last the stranger said:
"Open your eyes and tell me what you
see."
Peter Perkins stood and gazed with his
wizcned face pale and frightened. Hc
seemed to be in vast place, so vast that
1t appeared to be visible illimitable space.
There was no beginning nor end to any
where, and yet he was there In the midst
Of this inhnity Of distance and before
him upon nothing stood great tables upon
which was piled heterogeneous collection
OF everything imaginable, and while he
was trying TO understand this confusion,
he noticed that there had appeared, rank
OH rank and file on file, limitless, count
less numbers Of cherubim and seraphim,
and In the midst of this throng sat upon
u crystal throne Christ, the benign, the
lowing, the pitiful, and his features seemed
to eXude sweetness and mercy from every
lineament, and his smile was inefrably
tender.
The chcruh!m and seraphim sang
"Glorv, glory 10 God In the highest and
on earth peace and good will to men,"
and as Peter Perkins watched this beautio
full countenance he saw its expressiorf
change Sometimes 1t became that Of q
little child, sweet and infantlne, again It
was tender and pitiful, then it looked as
1t must have done when he said, "Come
to me, all ye weary and heavy laden"
then 1t was filled full of sorrow and mercf-
full goodness, and then it grew stern and
awful.
Then Peter Perkins noticed that there
was throng ever increasing and reach
ing far below them so that the end OF
them was far out of sight, and these
people came singly TO athe foot of the
Saviour and there laid a gift which was in
stantly taken by the angels and laid upon
pair of scales, which did not measure by
the weight of the gift itself, but the
motive which lay like living heart In
side it.
Then Peter Perkins saw that all who
had not yet offered their gift had bur-
den to carry, large or small, and lie sud-
denly became aware that the bl rden fast
ened upon his own back was enormous
and was very heavy. But he turned to
the stranger and said: "When will it be
my turn9'
"When all of these shall have passed."
And he had to stand there with the
great unknown weight upon his shoulders
for long hours, or days, or years, he did
not know which, while all these people
came by.
He noticed man who staggered by
and laid q heavy weight of gold chalces
and church candlestlcks and other en-
blems at his feet, and Peter Perkins saw
with surprise that they flew up in the bal
ance as If Of air. Another offered q
church, which was as so much paper, and
then poor old woman in rags staggered
along with cup of cold water as her only
Offering. This sent the scales down, down,
Gs il it weighed ton, and then o pale,
thin man came and offered only a. tear.
This, too, weighed heavier than gold.
Sometimes an old broken toy, or some
old, worn garments, or even crust of
bread was laid at his feet, and these, too,
were very heavy on those wonderful
scales.
Peter Perkins noticed, too, that those
whose gifts were light disappeared from
view, and he watched until he saw them
fall into space and fade away in distance,
while the angels sent plying glances after
them.
Suddenly the Saviour said:
"Now, Peter Perkins, what gift have
YOU brought to the Lord ON this his BIRTH